Droid Life » Verizon Selectshttp://www.droid-life.com
An intense Android news community bringing you the latest in phones, rooting, apps, and reviews.Sat, 01 Aug 2015 18:19:40 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Verizon’s Targeted Advertising “Smart Rewards” Program Going Nationwide on July 24http://www.droid-life.com/2014/07/21/verizons-targeted-advertising-smart-rewards-program-going-nationwide-on-july-24/
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/07/21/verizons-targeted-advertising-smart-rewards-program-going-nationwide-on-july-24/#commentsMon, 21 Jul 2014 17:00:40 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=145907Verizon’s Targeted Advertising “Smart Rewards” Program Going Nationwide on July 24 is a post from: Droid Life
]]>The day when Verizon discounts postpaid pricing may also be the day in which pigs take to the skies, but the carrier is apparently willing to offer some form of reward for your … continued devotion. This morning, Big Red announced that Verizon Smart Rewards, a program which rewards subscribers who take advantage of select services with discounts on merchandise, dining, and travel is going nationwide beginning July 24.

That sounds innocuous enough, but in order to take full advantage, you will need to enroll in the carrier’s latest targeted advertising program, Verizon Selects.

The benefits of Smart Rewards are simple enough. Beginning July 24, performing certain actions such as signing into My Verizon, paying your bill, choosing Verizon Trade In, and choosing paperless billing will net you points that can be applied towards gifts. Redeemable via smartphone or online, discounts through sweepstakes, auctions, and giveaways include up to 40 percent off 200 “well-known brands,” travel discounts at more than 26,000 hotels, and special promotions, such as chances to win NFL game tickets.

The caveat? Only customers who sign up for Verizon Selects will earn points for every dollar spent. That’s a nasty trick to get folks to submit their desktop and web surfing habits to advertisers, but it will no doubt entice more than a few. Given the nature of sweepstakes and auctions, enrolling in Verizon Selects may be the only way to win the biggest prizes.

For those interested in Verizon Smart Rewards, enrollment is not automatic. It requires logging into My Verizon on or after July 24 and opting into the program manually.

Anyone here willing to exchange their browsing habits for discounts on goodies?

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2014/07/21/verizons-targeted-advertising-smart-rewards-program-going-nationwide-on-july-24/feed/55Verizon Introduces “Smart Rewards” Program, Like a Credit Card Point Systemhttp://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/03/verizon-introduces-smart-rewards-program-like-a-credit-card-point-system/
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/02/03/verizon-introduces-smart-rewards-program-like-a-credit-card-point-system/#commentsMon, 03 Feb 2014 22:43:13 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=131339Verizon Introduces “Smart Rewards” Program, Like a Credit Card Point System is a post from: Droid Life
]]>While AT&T and T-Mobile are creating ways to get you out of contracts and into somewhat cheaper data plans, Verizon is adding on new services that I can’t imagine anyone would ever use. Over the weekend, Verizon kicked off a new program called Smart Rewards that works sort of like a reward system that you would find from a credit card. By performing tasks or signing up for services or spending more money through your Verizon account, you can tack on points that can then be used for sweepstakes, auctions, travel deals, daily deals, gift cards, and merchandise.

Most of the ways to spend your points are pretty straight forward, however, the auctions run like those super scammy auctions you see advertised on TV that ask you to constantly bid on items like an iPad, though the bidding process never seems to end and you run through cash or points in seconds without ever winning anything. The sweepstakes, daily deals, and travel are pretty typical rewards programs, but with things like the gift cards, you are really only using points to get discounts off of the full price of a gift card.

Earning points to use arrive through recurring areas that involve how many GB of data you have on your family plan, if you are signed up for Auto pay, how many dollars you spend on your monthly bill. You can also get upfront bonuses for things like adding a new line or signing up for the program.

So you are aware, the program requires that you sign-up for Verizon Selects, which after reading the fine print, sounds like one of the most invasive data gathering schemes on Earth. By acknowledging that you want Smart Rewards and Verizon Selects, you are giving Verizon access to the way you use apps, equipment, the websites you visit, your shopping interests, demographics, and more.

To provide you ads and content from Verizon and others that may be more relevant to you, we would like to use information about your use of Verizon products and services (like your devices and equipment, the features and apps you use, the websites you visit, and your location), interests (like shopping preferences), demographics (like age range), and information about the quantity, type, destination, location, and amount of use of your Verizon voice services (known as CPNI).

Verizon Selects then uses all of that information to send you advertisements via text, email, regular mail, etc. Sound like something you want to be a part of?

The program is currently only running in the following states, but Verizon plans to expand it throughout the rest of 2014.

First, you should know what Verizon Selects is. By acquiring usage data such as mobile web browsing history, your location, and “interest data” collected through application usage, Verizon Select allows third parties to offer advertisements that directly relate to you. Verizon is clear that the data is anonymous and is not distributed outside of Verizon, but to set your minds at ease, Verizon is offering customers who opt in a coupon or promotion to a major retailer of some kind.

We are asking customers to opt-in to Verizon Selects because of the types of information being used and because the capabilities provided to third-party marketers gives them the ability to reach customers directly. It’s important to remember that Verizon DOES NOT share information that identifies customers personally outside of Verizon.

You are not automatically signed up unless you do it yourself through their site, but if you either want to go sign up or make sure you’re not a part of this, then simply go here.

If you decide that a coupon is worth your personal information to be bundled up for special ads, then prepare to receive special offers in forms of texts, emails, postal mail, online ads, and mobile ads.